And Eternity
by Awesome Jones
Summary: The former operatives of Sector V are thrust in a war between the gods, unwilling playthings between the deities. Blessed with powers from a Goddess, they embark upon a journey to save Kuki but the question remains, who is really on their side?


**And Eternity…**

**Prologue: Burning Angel Kuki**

Kuki sat with her friends, former comrades in arms, watching the sun set from atop their hill. Today they were college graduates, tomorrow who knew? Wally was sitting next to her chewing the end of a pen and pensively watching the sun set. The pen had become his new cigarette, he quit because she asked and now chewed on bic pens like gum. He continued working his jaw around the pen; she could tell he was nervous about the days to come, new job, new house, new life with her. He always worried too much. He was a bit high strung even as a kid, but he had grown into a man that was just as "itchy" at times. He felt her gaze and looked over at her.

Every time he saw her face it brought a blush to his. Creamy smooth skin, dark eyes lashes, big beautiful eyes and lips that could form the greatest of smiles, the meanest of frowns, and pouts powerful enough to get him to cave to any demand. He knew he was lucky; they were lucky to have found each other and stayed together all these year.

She smiled at him, noting the blush in his strong jaw line. He was always cute but somewhere around 18 he went from cute to handsome as his baby features melted away into the face of man. Angular jaw, nice cheek bones, and those eyes she loved, that looked at her every morning she awoke. He still wore his hair too long, and swore he would never cut it short. Now he kept it back in a short ponytail with his bangs free. They were to be wed soon, and Abby had graciously accepted Maid of Honor.

Abigail sat where she always sat, between Nigel and Hoagie, not touching either. She had grown into a lovely black woman, shapely, strong with the fullest and most sensual lips. She cut her hair several weeks ago and gave it to Locks of Love, and now sported a short bob. It looked fetching on her and matched her round face unerringly. Abby sighed as her phone began to vibrate and took it out of her pocket. It was her dad, it was always her dad. He had grown more and more protective since her sister's murder. She didn't answer and turned it off completely.

"Dad?" Hoagie questioned scooting closer to her.

"As usual." She muttered.

Nigel took Hoagie's cue and moved closer to Abby resting his hand on her leg, "You alright… Next week is the anniversary of Cree."

Abby nodded, "I'm fine." She then took his hand off her leg and stood, moving to Kuki's side and collapsing next to her.

They exchanged a look, business as usual. Abby had briefly dated Nigel in high school and broke up with him when he and Hoagie's friendship suffered. The night Cree was murdered, she had a lapse of judgment, got drunk and ended up in Hoagie's bed. The boys' friendship never quite made it back to where it was when they were kids when they realized they both loved the same woman, she loved both of them, and neither would ever have her. Instead she chose not to date at all, knowing no man would ever be what they were to her.

Nigel cut Hoagie a vicious glance, which Hoagie returned with a mocking smile. The smile said, "I had her once." Nigel bit his tongue and laid back down in the grass. As it turned out, Nigel's hair didn't grow very fast and when it did it turned out he had his father's balding pattern, so he continued to keep his head shaved. No matter, he still looked good, and had grown into a very handsome man.

Hoagie chuckled and looked up into the sky, it puzzled him how someone as rational as Nigel was able to get jealous. He brushed his hair away from his face and found Abby looking at him. God she was beautiful, and he was plain. Brown hair, average face, average size body, and glasses. Sometimes he felt he wasn't good enough for her, but somewhere he knew she was the one, problem was Nigel knew the same thing.

"So what's next guys?" Abby asked no one in particular trying to break the tension.

"Got a job." Kuki said, "Designing." Kuki was stretching the truth a little bit; actually she was working as an assistant's assistant for a high fashion guru. She hoped at some point she could work her way into designing.

"Got that job at NASA." Hoagie said hoping it would impress Abby, "they want me to start work on a project right away."

"I have an offer from the CIA to create a new tracking program." Nigel said, "Software thought would allow for thermo-DNA scanning from satellites that could track terrorists."

"Cool." Wally interrupted him before Hoagie could upstage his friend, "I'm marrying Kuki…. I think that trumps everything." He said laughing.

Kuki laughed with her friends and once again looked out at the sky. The first twinge of pain touched her head. She rubbed her temples and tried to ignore it. The second twinge drew a cry of hurt from her lips.

"What's wrong baby?" Wally asked reaching for her.

The third pain amplified in intensity tenfold, and was so strong it drew a scream. Nausea rolled across her body from pain, she bent double and began to dry heave. Wally continued to hold her as the pain in her head increased; Abby was there a second later. Abby was going to med school in the fall and had already been studying for her future profession. She checked Kuki's eyes to see if her pupils were dilated and she reach out and took the other girl's thin arm and checker her pulse. It was erratic, too erratic, she yelled for someone to call 911

The pain in Kuki's head now was too intense and she began to weep. She couldn't feel or hear anything, all she felt was pain. She began to seizure and Abby held her head still as her body flopped around like fish out of water. With expert hands Abby held the other girl's head still, turned her head to the side, as foam began to gather in Kuki's mouth and sputter from her lips. It was then as Abby held her head she felt the girl heat up. It wasn't a fever, no fever onsets this quickly.

He skin flushed and burned until it was too hot to hold. Against her will Abby let go of Kuki as she became too hot to handle. Wally tried to hold her, but her skin was entirely too hot and felt more like lava in his hands. It was then Nigel could see the smoke rising off of Kuki's sweating form and he knew something bad was going to happen.

"Everyone, get away from her!" he screamed.

Hoagie backed up seeing the smoke and flames pressing through her skin, but Wally wouldn't leave her, reaching for her and pulling back, each time as her body scorched his hands. She continued to flail about as fire burst from her body, flames a blue-red tint rolled across her skin and began to burn the ground under Wally's knees. Nigel grabbed his friend and pulled him into a run as his pants began to catch, Abby was already running with Hoagie at her heels.

"That's my wife!" Wally screamed fighting him, "Let me go!"

Nigel continued to drag his friend down the hill. Under them the ground began to shake: they were all thrown off balance and their runs turned into tumbles down the hill. Nigel hit the bottom of the hill first, Wally fell on top of him, Hoagie landed square on his butt and Abby landed on his lap. They looked up to see a brilliant light at the top of the hill.

There was a moment of silence before the world exploded into light and colors. Wally had to shield his eyes from the fantastic prism of brilliance that encased him. It was warm like lovers embrace, and as powerful as storm. He screamed with his friends feeling the power over take him as he was blown backward into the grass.

A sound came then; a sweet voice surrounded them and pulled them to their feet. They could see her as she walked with a grace nothing human could do, her feet barely touching the ground. Nude accept for a golden thong covering her nether regions. Kuki moved toward them, reborn.

She stopped before Wally and touched her future husband's face.

"You." Was all she said before she turned to the setting sun. She lifted off her feet and began to drift away.

"Wait!" Wally tumbled into a run after her, "Who are you! Where is my wife!" he screamed tears in his eyes.

"I must take her." The woman bearing his wife's face answered. "My vessel cannot be hidden here any longer."

"Bring her back!" he screamed tripping over his shoes. He fell, a shoe flying off his foot.

"I cannot." The woman turned again to leave.

Wally grabbed his shoe and threw it at her; it stopped in mid-air and burned away into nothing. "Give her back!" he ordered again.

The Goddess smiled, "You love my Vessel. My Bunmi [1]…"

"Yes." He answered unsure of what he was talking about, all he knew is he loved Kuki.

"And you…" she looked at the other former members of Sector V, "You love her as well?"

"We do!" Nigel answered for all of them. Abby and Hoagie came to his side.

"There is more going on here than you realize humans." The Goddess spoke, "Are you prepared to give your life if need be for my Vessel?"

"Yes." Nigel said

"Yes" Abby echoed.

"Yes." Hoagie nodded.

"Very well. I will grant you the power to protect her." The Goddess spoke as she drifted down to the earth. "But you cannot take this back. This battle will be from here until forever. You love this woman but she has been mine before she accepted you into her heart. She is my power, my will, my tool, my weapon."

"She is mine." Wally said firmly. He raised his engagement band, "When we put this on our hands she agreed to be mine. I don't care what's going on, but this ring is stronger than whatever you say. That is my wife, she is my love, she belongs to me."

The Goddess laughed, "You confuse me Wallabee. But I accept your words. You may have her back. If you truly love her, I will allow my vessel to remain in this world."

"Fine." Wally said, "I'll protect her from anything in this world." He balled his fists.

The Goddess laughed again, "Your arrogance amuses me." She moved in front of him, "There are things here, Wally, things that you cannot possible fathom."

"I. Will. Protect. Her." He said carefully trying to keep from punching the Goddess in her face.

"Very well." She laughed something twinkling in her eyes, "Who am I to come in the way of love?" she paused, "However I will give you the tools you need to carry out my will." Something in the way she said it worried him; who was she really after? Kuki or him? He pushed the thought aside, if it meant he could keep Kuki he could care less.

She touched Wally first on the forehead with a single finger. "You're greatest strength has always been your great strength. From now, you shall be stronger than any man on this planet. You will be able to tear this world in two if you so choose." Wally felt the power ignite in his bones and he collapsed on the ground.

"You." She moved to Nigel, "You're power is in knowing, your intelligence, your mind. So I give you this. Power over the mind and of yours." She touched his head and he collapsed.

"Abigail Lincoln" she smiled, "So many strengths but your best is that you feel other's pain and try to alleviate it. That is your power to take away pain." She touched her head and Abby passed out.

"And you," she moved to Hoagie, "You always understood tools and machines more than people and emotions. So there you have it, domination over machines." Hoagie didn't pass out like his friends, he wavered on his feet for a few moments before her slowly dropped to his knees.

The Goddess floated toward the sky once more, "Protect her. They will come as they always do for my Vessel." She looked at Wally, "For you and this love I will not destroy her as I planned, but you must protect her and me. If they capture her, I will destroy her to protect everything."

The Goddess left Kuki in a burst of light. Without the grace of the Goddess to hold her, Kuki buckled into herself next to her friends. They all lay their paralyzed in the Goddess' power. Night fully set on the world as things were set into motion. The force that drew them together was unseen, the threats of fate weaving, and dipping, and knitting them together connecting their hearts, minds, and souls to the shared damnation they agreed upon. Spinster Fate finished her intricate pattern and cut the string with razor sharp teeth. With old gnarled hands she pulled the threads tight and tied a knot in the center of their criss-crossed destinies. It was her finest work yet. And with their shared destiny came shared danger.

The goddess watched her tools from The Possibilities, her plan perfectly executed. She searched for a long time for the perfect lives, already connected and strong enough to fulfill her wishes.

Humans, toys, peons. All the same to her, like worker ants, they were good for nothing but doing what she asked. Kuki, her Vessel, she laughed to herself as if she would put power into such a weak little thing. But they believed it, and they would do as she asked. She grabbed two fistfuls of oblivion, a pinch of darkness, a touch of evil, and sculpted a monster of bone and blood and pushed it into their realm. She watched it land on the hill above them and her little tools awaken. She drank their fear at the creature and watched them scurry like cockroaches to one of their…

The Goddess searched for the word… Au..toe..Mo…Beels. Yes that was the word. Au..toe-Mo-Beel. She sat back in her thrown, and watched them. Oya [2] always got what she wanted in the end, and this would be no exception.

Author's notes

[1] Bunmi is Youruban for My Gift

[2] Oya is an African goddess of change

1. Oh yeah this story shares the same Title as a Piers Anthony Book

Oh yes, another epic one. This will be strictly fantasy and deal a lot with various gods and heavens. Pairings as follows, 2/3 obviously but we shall see who 5 ends up with, cause even I haven't decided yet. Please review.

jones


End file.
